Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a wheelchair lift which enables to lift a wheelchair from a ground level position to an entry level position in a vehicle and inversely.
Description of the Related Art
Vehicular wheelchair lifts are utilized to facilitate lifting of wheelchairs into a vehicle. The wheelchair lift comprises a platform assembly having at least one plate to load a wheelchair. The platform assembly may be moved by a power control assembly among a stowed position in which the platform assembly and other components of the wheelchair are collapsed, an entry level position in which the platform assembly is in an unfolded configuration so that the wheelchair can be loaded onto the platform assembly in a vehicle and a ground level position in which the platform assembly is still unfolded and coplanar to the ground outside the vehicle.
The wheelchair lift is usually permanently mounted in the vehicle by means of a mounting assembly of the wheelchair lift which may be fixed to a floor of the vehicle. In order to avoid disturbing of driving characteristics of the vehicle, the handling of the vehicle and an increase of the fuel consumption of the vehicle, the wheelchair lift should have a low weight. On the other hand, the wheelchair lift has to be stable to load and lift a wheelchair with a person in and out of the vehicle.
There is a need to provide a wheelchair lift having a low weight and which is stable enough to load and lift a wheelchair with a person sitting in the wheelchair inside and outside of a vehicle.